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Antes da bola rolar para Botafogo e Junior Barranquilla, John Textor, dono da SAF alvinegra, compareceu na Cidade da Polícia para prestar depoimento. O empresário ficou cerca de três horas com as autoridades.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasBotafogoLuiz Henrique analisa derrota do Botafogo na Libertadores: ‘Desatentos’Botafogo03/04/2024Fora de CampoFelipe Neto cita Textor e se revolta com derrota do Botafogo na Libertadores: ‘Vergonhosa’Fora de Campo03/04/2024BotafogoGols e melhores momentos da derrota do Botafogo para o Junior Barranquilla na LibertadoresBotafogo03/04/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Fogão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Botafogo

Eu fui à delegacia, comecei o processo, entreguei provas, dei meu depoimento. Eu tenho muito mais provas do que um relatório da Good Game!. É um dia maravilhoso. Falei com investigadores independentes e razoáveis que não pareceram estar torcendo por clube nenhum. É muita informação, são meses de coleta de dados. É muito o início de um processo muito saudável

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comentou John Textor com exclusividade à Globo

John Textor entrou no Estádio Nilton Santos afirmando que tem “provas completas” de manipulação de resultados no futebol brasileiro. Além disso, o empresário estdunidense criticou a atuação do Superior Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva (STJD).

– Estou tentando há muito tempo entregar provas para pessoas que se importam com isso. Eu mandei para o STJD, eles continuam falando que eu não entreguei provas. Eu entreguei há semanas provas completas de manipulação de resultados. Os nomes foram omitidos para proteger a identidade dos jogadores envolvidos. Eu me importo com a lei. Se alguém está envolvido num escândalo de manipulação, essa pessoa também tem direitos. Não consigo entender como o STJD, que tem processos não confidenciais, continua pedindo provas – criticou o empresário. E emendou:

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– Essa empresa (Good Game!) é uma das que têm maior credibilidade nessa área no mundo. Eles estavam aqui antes de eu chegar, olharam dois anos de dados antes de eu conhecê-los. (…) Vocês deveriam olhar o nome da minha empresa que se tornou Fubo, foi a empresa em que ganhei dinheiro para poder comprar um clube. O nome da empresa era Evolution AI Corporation (Evolução Inteligência Artifical). Se vocês não queriam mudança, não trouxessem um cara que fez seu dinheiro com inteligência artificial.

Textor ainda pontuou que não acusou Leila Pereira nem sobre o Palmeiras.

– Eu deixei muito claro que não fiz acusações sobre a Leila, ela deveria parar de se comportar como se estivesse sendo atacada. Eu não fiz acusações sobre o Palmeiras. Quando as pessoas manipulam esses jogos, pela visão do computador, eu posso provar como, mas eu não posso provar por quê. Eu não sei quem paga quem ou se estão fazendo isso de graça.

John Textor chegou ao Nilton Santos com a partida em andamento. O dono da SAF do Botafogo não gostou da atuação do time na estreia da fase de grupos da Libertadores.

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– Foi uma performance patética do time hoje. Nossos capitães sabem. Temos um novo treinador chegando. Abrimos uma competição maravilhosa, com uma performance horrorosa.

Tudo sobre

BotafogoFutebol NacionalJohn Textor

Tanzania will be making their debut in the competition, which will also see Japan featuring in it for the second time

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Nov-2025

The 16th edition of the Men’s Under-19 World Cup is set to take place from January 15 to February 6, 2026. The ICC announced the fixtures for the tournament on Wednesday, with 16 teams participating in the event to be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia.Tanzania will be making their debut in the competition, which will also see Japan featuring in it for the second time after they last played in it in 2020.The 16 teams have been divided into four groups of four teams each. While each team plays the three other sides in its group during the first round of the tournament, the top three ranked teams from each group progress to the Super Six. The top four teams then qualify for the semi-finals on February 3 and 4, which will be held in Bulawayo and Harare, respectively. The final will take place at the Harare Sports Club in Harare.Apart from that venue, the four other grounds that will be hosting the tournament are the Takashinga Sports Club in Harare, the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, the recently inaugurated Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek, and the HP Oval also in Windhoek. All teams are due to arrive on January 8, before playing warm-up matches from January 9-14, ahead of the tournament proper starting a day later.In 2024, Australia had beaten India in the final to win the previous edition of the Men’s Under-19 World Cup.

The final international break of the year has finally come to an end, and Chelsea are back in Premier League action.

Enzo Maresca’s side resume their campaign with a trip to newly promoted Burnley, in what could be something of a banana skin fixture.

What will make things even more difficult for the West Londoners is their ever-growing injury list, which has decimated their backline.

However, arguably more concerning than that, Cole Palmer has picked up another knock, although there is someone in the squad who could stand in for him, and no, it’s not Estevao.

The latest on Cole Palmer

After an impressive Club World Cup campaign and strong pre-season performances, it felt like Palmer was set for another exceptional year in West London.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, after playing the first game against Crystal Palace, he missed the next two due to a groin problem, and while he returned for the following couple of matches, he was again forced off against Manchester United with another groin problem.

The Englishman hasn’t featured for the side since then, although it did look like he would be back in the squad after the international break.

However, it would appear Maresca and Co can’t catch a break this season, as reports yesterday morning revealed that the former Manchester City prospect had broken his toe in an accident at home.

In his press conference a few hours later, the manager confirmed the injury and said his star player “is not available for this week and next week.”

That means that, on top of today’s game, the 23-year-old is definitely going to miss the Champions League clash with Barcelona and the London derby with Arsenal.

It’s undoubtedly a massive blow for Chelsea, but the silver lining is that, alongside Estevao, they have another young talent who could step in for Palmer.

Chelsea's Palmer replacement

While Estevao should start on the right for the upcoming games, Maresca could get some of what Palmer would provide in the ten by starting Facundo Buonanotte there.

Now, before the pitchforks and torches come out, nobody is arguing that the Argentine is as good a player as the Englishman; that would be absurd.

However, he is a highly talented young player who, based on his performances last season and what those in the know say about him, could replicate the 23-year-old’s capabilities.

For example, despite playing for a truly poor Leicester City side last season and being just 19 at the start of it, he was able to put in some impressive performances.

In 35 appearances, totalling 1701 minutes, the attacking midfielder, whom talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed “one of the most exciting South American talents to have moved to Europe in recent years,” scored six goals and provided three assists.

Appearances

31

2

2

Goals

5

1

0

Assists

2

1

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.22

1.00

0.00

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 3.88 games, or every 189 minutes, which is not a bad rate of return considering the circumstances.

Moreover, the promising ace with a “left foot made of gold,” per Jacek Kulig, has also earned comparisons to some Argentine football legends.

For example, Premier League great Carlos Tevez told the press that the youngster “reminds me of Messi” a few years ago.

Finally, away from the numbers and appraisals, when the twice-capped international was in full flow last season, he looked like the sort of mercurial talent who, with the proper coaching and chance, could create game-winning moments for his side.

Ultimately, while he isn’t on the level of Palmer at the moment, Buonanotte is an undeniably talented youngster, and for the next few games, could provide cover for the Englishman.

Forget Delap: 18-year-old star is destined to be Chelsea's future number 9

The incredible youngster will be a superstar for England and Chelsea.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 21, 2025

Leeds United are on the lookout for attacking potency in January and could be set to back Daniel Farke in his pursuit to bring a talented forward to Elland Road.

The Whites find themselves embroiled in a fight against the drop, and not everyone is feeling wholly confident in the former Norwich City boss, even if his side has produced some encouraging moments this term.

All too often, fine margins determine the outcome of Premier League matches, and Farke’s side has been on the wrong side of them, leading some to question his ability to lead the Whites forward.

With that in mind, Leeds are keen to source proven quality in the form of Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling, even if his £325,000 wages may prove to be a stumbling block in negotiations.

Signings or no signings, Farke has vowed that his side won’t change as they aim to secure top-flight football for next term, claiming that their approach to being successful will pay off in the long run.

He said before his side took on Aston Villa: “If you follow our way of working over the past two and half years, you know exactly what we are doing, how we try to approach a game and try to be successful. This won’t change at all.”

Sticking by your principles can be the defining choice that determines whether a manager is successful in keeping their job. Farke has been a nice fit for Leeds since arriving at Elland Road, though he has routinely come under scrutiny and is now back under the spotlight.

Either way, the January transfer window is creeping closer, and the 49ers could now be set to back their man as they pursue an exciting striker.

Leeds in pursuit of Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Garcia

According to The Mirror, Leeds are willing to sign Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Garcia on an initial six-month loan with a £20 million mandatory purchase option in the summer as the 49ers aim to back Farke in the New Year.

However, there has been a twist as Los Blancos boss Xabi Alonso is said to have blocked the move, notifying the forward that he is still part of his plans both in the immediate term and further down the line.

Gonzalo Garcia at Real Madrid – all competitions

Appearances

21

Goals

5

Assists

3

Intriguingly, Leeds were confident that they could lure Garcia to England before the ex-Liverpool star’s intervention, and the Spain Under-21 international was also said to be keen on a move to the Premier League after finding regular minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu hard to come by.

Alonso is aware he will need to utilise his whole squad, potentially offering more openings for the 21-year-old to feature as Real Madrid chase more silverware both domestically and in Europe.

Leeds are also eyeing an alternative £20m forward

Bursting onto the scene at the Club World Cup, Garcia would certainly be a viable option in the Leeds attack if they were able to complete a deal, though any chance of that now looks to be unlikely unless circumstances change.

Santiago Giménez’s future at AC Milan has become increasingly uncertain, even though his contract runs through 2029. Local reports suggest the Mexican striker may be nearing the end of his spell at San Siro, drawing interest from several clubs across Europe – including a surprising contender in the Premier League with Sunderland.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Joining the Black Cats?

  Among the teams monitoring his situation, Sunderland have surfaced as one of the most serious candidates, according to Calciomercato.com. The Premier League club has started the season in unexpected form, sitting fourth in the table with 19 points, ahead of giants such as Tottenham, Manchester City, and Liverpool. Their rise – and need for added depth in attack – has put Giménez firmly on their radar.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  A difficult debut season in Italy

  Giménez’s time with Milan has not unfolded as hoped. Through eight Serie A matches, he has yet to score or provide an assist, a downturn that has fueled speculation about a winter overhaul of attack. Giménez has also been linked to West Ham, who are reportedly exploring a swap involving Niclas Füllkrug – a sign that Milan could be preparing to move on from the Mexican forward.

• AFP
  

  Injury concerns complicate his situation

  Adding to the frustration, Giménez is recovering from a lingering ankle injury that has kept him sidelined for several weeks. His absence has hurt his rhythm in Milan and limited his opportunities with the Mexican national team. The lack of playing time has only intensified conversations about whether a change of scenery would benefit both sides.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Other Prem options emerge

  According to the same outlet, Milan would consider signing a new center forward in January – but that move may hinge on Giménez leaving to free up a roster spot. In addition to Sunderland, Brentford have also inquired about a potential loan deal.

  This wouldn’t be his first chance to cross into England: Giménez previously turned down an offer from Nottingham Forest during his final months at Feyenoord.

  Now, with Sunderland flying high and Brentford solidly mid-table, both clubs see an opportunity to bring in a striker who, at Feyenoord, became one of Europe’s breakout goalscorers.

Seifert’s 125 is also the second-highest score ever in the CPL, while Kings’ chase was the fifth-highest ever in the competition

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Aug-2025A stunning century from Tim Seifert helped St Lucia Kings pull off the fifth-highest chase in Caribbean Premier League (CPL) history with utter ease as they marched to the top of the table with a six-wicket win over Antigua and Barbuda Falcons at Gros Islet.Seifert levelled with Andre Russell for the CPL’s fastest century as his 53-ball 125 not out saw Kings overturn their 205-run in 17.5 overs as Falcons slumped to their second consecutive defeat, despite a 26-ball 61 from Shakib Al Hasan.Seifert started the chase in style, flat-batting the first legal delivery of the innings for a six over long-off. Imad Wasim conceded another six, to Johnson Charles, as Kings made their intent clear in the first over.Charles then welcomed Jayden Seales into the attack with a six before Seifert went 6, 4, 4 against the West Indies quick.There was some reprieve for Falcons when Salman Irshad had Charles gloving behind off an attempted scoop but Seifert showed no signs of slowing down.He swept Shakib for a six over square leg before skying a chance that fell safe between three fielders converging, much to Shakib’s angst.Akeem Auguste hit Irshad for three consecutive fours before Seales took 24 off Shakib, with two sixes and three fours. The 92 runs Kings plundered in the powerplay were the most in the season, and it was the third-best powerplay in CPL history.Tim Seifert plays a shot during his opening blitz•Getty ImagesUsama Mir saw Seifert hit him for a four and a six in his first over, right after the powerplay, but hit back in his next over when he beat Auguste in flight to have him stumped.Seifert and Roston Chase kept the scoreboard ticking before Irshad took a blinder at short leg off Odean Smith to cut Chase’s innings short.However, in the next over Seifert hit back-to-back sixes off Mir to move to 99 and completed his century with a single off the next ball.Tim David went 6, 4, 6 off Smith before Seales had him caught at deep midwicket in a wicket maiden amid the chaos.Seifert, who had scooped Irshad in the over before for four, picked up another boundary off Seales’ third over before sealing the win with a mighty six off the final ball.Seifert finished unbeaten on 125, posting the highest score of the season, going past his compatriot Colin Munro, who is the only other centurion this year. This was also the second-highest score ever in the CPL.Openers Amir Jangoo and Jewel Andrew took Falcons to 51 for no loss at the end of the powerplay, but Tabraiz Shamsi’s introduction shifted the momentum briefly. He had Andrew skying one off his first ball before drawing a thick edge from Karima Gore and Roston Chase took a good catch at slip to send the in-form batter back for a first-ball duck.Shakib Al Hasan powered Falcons’ innings•CPLShakib prevented the hat-trick by sweeping a loosener fine on the leg side before an edge off a reverse-sweep brought him four more next ball.An 18-ball streak followed without a boundary, but that was ended when Shakib hit back-to-back sixes off Chase to end the tenth over – a slog sweep over midwicket was followed by a wallop down the ground.Shakib hammered David Wiese for 25 runs, with three consecutive fours followed by two back-to-back sixes, the second of which saw him bring up a 20-ball half-century.Jangoo lofted Shamsi over long-off the next over before sweeping him fine on the leg side. Shakib’s shot of the day was when he pummeled Alzarri Joseph inside out for a one-handed six.But an offcutter from Delano Potgieter drew a leading edge from Shakib and one over later, Jangoo miscued a reverse-sweep off Shamsi to David at short third to depart for a 43-ball 56.Smith failed to fire in the death, ambling to 11 off 15, but Fabian Allen provided the punch at the death with a 17-ball 38, taking Falcons past 200.

There are challenges ahead for the new ODI captain but he has an abundance of resources and talent to work with

Karthik Krishnaswamy04-Oct-20258:14

Aakash Chopra: Didn’t see Gill’s appointment coming this soon

Which is the greatest team in ODI history?It’s a difficult question, but not because there are too many plausibly “correct” answers. It’s difficult because there are, when you boil it down, just two equally compelling ones: Clive Lloyd’s West Indies and Ricky Ponting’s Australia, both winners of back-to-back World Cup titles, and both of whom won upwards of three times as many ODIs as they lost.Lloyd and Ponting’s respective win-loss ratios of 3.555 and 3.235, in fact, are the best and third-best of all captains to have led ODI teams at least 20 times.Related

Kohli finds rhythm, Rohit shakes off the rust in India's first training session

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Gill wants 'to look forward and win everything' he can, in every format

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Between formats and futures: Gill's most unprecedented test yet

Best and… third-best? Yes, because Rohit Sharma’s India sit right between them at 3.500, with 42 wins and 12 losses in 56 matches.Rohit’s India didn’t dominate world cricket for anywhere near as long as the other two teams did, and though they achieved a 15-1 record over two global tournaments, they happened to lose that one match on November 19, 2023. But just the fact that they can be discussed alongside the two GOAT teams in ODIs tells you how good Rohit’s India were.Were.We’ll have to get used to speaking of Rohit’s ODI team in simple past tense, because it’s now Shubman Gill’s team. At 26, he is now captain in two international formats, vice-captain in the third, and in every way the face of Indian cricket.Well, almost. Because over the last week or so, the face that has dominated television promos for India’s upcoming ODI series in Australia hasn’t been Gill’s or even Rohit’s but that of Virat Kohli. Even ads for the women’s World Cup have referenced Kohli and the shirt number 18 he shares with Smriti Mandhana.It’s been nearly four years since he captained India in any format, and he’s retired from two of them, but we remain, in some ways, in the era of Virat Kohli. And we remain, in other ways, in the era of Rohit Sharma. And these are cricketing ways too, because Kohli won India matches in inimitably Kohli ways the last time India played ODIs, finishing among the top run-getters in the Champions Trophy, and Rohit won India the final in an inimitably Rohit way.5:49

Agarkar on Kohli-Rohit: ‘Too early to think about 2027 ODI World Cup’

It’s no surprise that Kohli and Rohit are still in India’s ODI squad, even though Ajit Agarkar and his selection panel have made it clear that they are prepared for a future without either. They may not be playing the other two formats, but that’s no reason to leave them out of the one where they have shown little sign of slowing down, and the one in which they are both undisputed all-time greats.India have explosive openers, like Abhishek Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who could potentially take Rohit’s place; but there’s little evidence as of now that they can do in 50-over games, against two new balls, what they do in T20s against one. India have candidates for the No. 3 role, but can any of them accumulate risk-free runs in pressure situations while still somehow ticking along at a-run-a-ball like Kohli has continued to do into his mid-30s?It’s a tricky time for both, though, because who plays ODIs anymore? Since the start of 2024, India have only played 11, the joint fewest of any team alongside Ireland. India will play nine across the 2025-26 season – three in Australia in October, and then three each against South Africa and New Zealand at home – but nothing, as of now, between January 18 and July 14, which is when they play the first of three ODIs in England.1:19

Chopra: Rohit’s place in the side will now depend on form

Gaps like this are increasingly the norm for most teams. India themselves haven’t played an ODI since the Champions Trophy final on March 9. How are Kohli and Rohit going to handle these gaps, given that ODIs and the IPL are pretty much the only cricket they now play? How keen will they be to play domestic cricket just to keep themselves match-fit and match-sharp? How will they sustain this sort of life for two full years before the next ODI World Cup in Africa in October 2027, when Kohli will be a month away from his 39th birthday and Rohit already 40?And given how intermittently India will play ODIs in the period leading up to that World Cup, they could find themselves juggling two competing desires. They want to make the most of what Rohit and Kohli still have to give; they also want to give other batters a run in the side in case a need arises for someone to step into the outsize shoes of either or both come the World Cup. How do they do both these things at the same time?They could have managed it in, say, the two-year period leading up to the 2011 World Cup. Like they did by resting Sachin Tendulkar frequently in that period, during which he only played 38% of India’s ODIs. But that 38% amounted to 22 matches across which he averaged 66.05. No one plays ODIs at anywhere near that frequency anymore.And because of this, it could be a tricky time for Gill too. He’s already having to navigate being one of a shrinking band of international players who play all three formats. Now, with leadership roles in all three, he may not get too many opportunities to take breaks.3:25

‘Selectors will have to give Gill breaks in cramped schedule’

And as an ODI captain leading a team that may not play the format all that often, he may not have a lot of time between now and October 2027 to formulate and put in place any vision he may have of what a Shubman Gill ODI XI is, and how he wants it to play. And while he figures it out, he’ll have two ex-captains batting either side of him.But as challenging as any of that may sound, this might actually be the best time for a new captain to take over the ODI side. Rohit hands over to Gill a team so dominant they made a place for themselves between Lloyd’s West Indies and Ponting’s Australia. He hands over a team whose last act in ODIs was to win the Champions Trophy without coming close to dropping a game.Above all, he hands over a team of fearsome quality and experience. Even if you take away Rohit and Kohli, Gill has Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj by his side, among other established names, and a seemingly endless list of young players with high ceilings knocking on the door.This, then, is the crux of it, and it’s been the case with India’s ODI team over at least the last three years: they have worries, certainly, but only until they look at the ones other teams are dealing with.

Having endured two difficult IPL seasons after rushing back into action following back surgery, the legspinner took two months off and has returned rejuvenated

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Aug-20254:23

Rashid: ‘Made a mistake’ by rushing back after back surgery

Afghanistan’s bowling allrounder Rashid Khan says he committed a “mistake” by rushing back to play cricket just a few months after a back surgery that immediately followed the 2023 World Cup. The long-term impact, Rashid said, told on him during his last two IPL seasons for Gujarat Titans (GT), especially in 2025, his worst IPL ever.Rashid conceded 33 sixes, the most by a bowler in a single IPL season, as batters both capped and uncapped dominated him. Post-surgery, Rashid’s speed, the backbone of his bowling, depleted considerably, in addition to a loss of accuracy. However, after a two-month post-IPL break, Rashid has returned rejuvenated, and showed that on Tuesday in the opening contest of the Hundred 2025, with a match-wining 3 for 11 in defending champions Oval Invincibles’ victory over London Spirit at Lord’s.In a chat with ESPNcricinfo organised by Red Bull, which unveiled the Afghanistan great as an ambassador on Saturday, Rashid said he had failed to grasp the advice the doctors had given him after his surgery.Related

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“After IPL, I needed the kind of break where my body gets back to normal,” Rashid said. “I worked a little bit on my strength. And especially coming back from back surgery, I hadn’t had much time to rehab properly. That’s where I did a bit of mistake to restart my cricket so quickly at that time. And I feel like I didn’t let myself properly recover, and I pushed it a little bit at that time, and I can see the disadvantage of that now. But after IPL [2025], I felt like I needed that kind of two months off where I can just focus on my fitness.”And when I came yesterday [on Tuesday], I felt so good, in a good rhythm, and the ball was coming nicely out of my hand, and [my] body was allowing me to go through. So these things matter a lot – sometimes you don’t think about that a lot; you just try your best to push yourself. But I feel to be out of the game for some time and focus on my fitness – and also [focus] mentally and physically – that really played a huge role.”On a sluggish Lord’s surface, Rashid bowled between 94 and 98kph, speeds he feels more comfortable with, and in control. The absence of zip in his deliveries, Rashid felt, was a key reason behind his failing to dictate terms in the last two IPL seasons.”On Tuesday, I was bowling at 94-98 kph – that’s my pace, [and the] speeds I am known to bowl at. I feel I was missing that before because my body was not allowing me to go through [my action] with that full energy. Last night, [against Spirit], when I came to bowl, I was getting that good feeling, and I was touching that speed with which I could put the batsman in trouble, and also not allow him much time to read from the surface.”Rashid conceded 33 sixes in IPL 2025•BCCIBarely a few months after the back surgery, despite medical experts warning him to pay careful attention to his rehab, Rashid resumed playing, though mostly T20 cricket. He started with the series against Ireland in March 2024, followed by the IPL and the T20 World Cup, where he led Afghanistan into the semi-finals. Soon after, back and hamstring niggles surfaced, forcing Rashid to skip the BBL and PSL. In early January 2025, Rashid played the second Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, and finished as the Player of the Match, bowling 55 overs (27.3 in each innings) and picking up 11 wickets to enter the record books. But the toll exacted by those marathon spells was evident during the Champions Trophy, and then IPL 2025.”When I came back to cricket after surgery, I was told not to rush back in the longer formats [Tests and ODIs] that quickly as that was not going to help me,” Rashid said. “About eight to nine months after I had started to play post surgery, I bowled 65 [55] overs in the Bulawayo Test. That really pushed my back a little bit, and I felt it at that time. I shouldn’t have been in whites [to play Tests].”In T20s, it’s fine – you can manage yourself – but for the longer formats, I was advised that you should be away from that format for some time. That is the kind of mistake I have made. But the team needed that. At that time, we had lost a few games in Test cricket, but that’s something where I rushed myself a little bit, and I didn’t give myself time and I felt it later on. Yes, I think I have done a mistake where my body was not allowing me that and I’m facing a problem. The thing is the stiffness in your back doesn’t allow you to go with full rhythm.”From the time he entered the IPL in 2017, Rashid maintained an economy rate of just over six runs an over until 2022. But since 2023, batters, especially right-handers, have played him with a lot more freedom. In 2022, Rashid’s economy rate against right-hand batters was 5.95. Over the next three seasons, it increased to 8.57 (2023), 8.84 (2024) and 9.69 (2025). If a few seasons ago his balls-per-six ratio in the IPL was 43, by 2025, it had plunged to 10. Rashid is aware of the numbers, but not overly concerned.”Before, when I was bowling 24 balls [over an innings], I was missing pitching [them] on length [for] like four or five balls. But then the number went [up] to eight or nine balls. And in those eight to nine [balls], they are scoring those extra couple of sixes and couple of big boundaries. I just needed to decrease that. Nothing else. It’s not like of the 24 balls, I was bowling every ball badly, [or] I was bowling wides and full tosses. [I knew] it’s going to be fine.”The realisation that his body was not allowing him to go with what he calls “the full flow” forced Rashid to have a chat with his coaches, who felt that he needed to take time off. Rashid duly pulled out of the MLC, where he plays for MI New York. During the break, he did a lot of strength training, especially in his lower back, and spot bowling two or three times a week, along with a bit of batting. But the focus was more on gym work. Outside of that, Rashid, who got married last October, spent a relaxed time with his family, which he says has now left him refreshed.”After IPL finished, for three weeks, I didn’t touch the ball. I spent most of my time with my family, [and] my nephews – going around with them, [and] had fun – just to take all those memories and stuff and bad days out of my mind, and then restart with the cricket. That’s what I did just to be refreshed, and then got back on track and got back bowling in the right spot.”At the SA20 this year, Rashid overtook Dwayne Bravo to become the highest wicket-taker in all T20s•SA20The break seems to have had a positive impact on Rashid. Before coming to the Hundred, he played four matches in the Shpageeza Cricket League, Afghanistan’s domestic T20 tournament, where he led Speen Ghar Tigers, and picked up 4 for 19, including three wickets in his final over, in their last match. Having made a strong start to the Hundred, Rashid will now hope to carry forward the momentum as Invincibles look for a three-peat, having won the title in the last two seasons.This February, while playing in the SA20, Rashid, who plays for MI Cape Town, overtook Dwayne Bravo to become the highest wicket-taker in all T20s. He recently became the first bowler to cross the 650-wicket mark, and is three wickets behind the retired Tim Southee on the all-time leading-wicket-takers chart in T20Is. Rashid was also ranked No. 1 among ESPNcricinfo’s 25 Greatest T20 players. He chuckled when asked whether he had read that story, and said he had, and that it made him just as proud as being chosen as the ICC’s T20I Cricketer of the Decade (2011-20) despite playing just four years of international cricket in that period.”People don’t just give it to you. It means like you have done something special, [and] you have done something unbelievable – and at different stages, in different countries. And that’s how you get that kind of appreciation. So it gives me so much energy, [and] it gives me so much positivity, and that for me is more important. And it does allow you to work harder, and to be number one again.”Rashid is the latest player to join Red Bull which also has on its roster Ben Stokes, KL Rahul, Kagiso Rabada and Riyan Parag. Rashid said it was a “huge and proud moment” to be the first Afghanistan player on the list and is “excited” to visit the Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre in Salzburg later this year.

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has accused Gianluigi Donnarumma of "faking" an injury to allow Pep Guardiola to deliver a Manchester City team talk when the game was hanging in the balance. The Italian asked for treatment in the second half when Leeds had made it 2-1 and were in the ascendancy. The visitors got it back to 2-2 before Phil Foden's stoppage-time winner secured all three points on Saturday at the Etihad.

Man City survive Leeds scare

City were 2-0 up and cruising at half time thanks to goals from Foden and Josko Gvardiol but the second half was a very different story. Goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha, after his penalty was saved, gave the lowly visitors a great chance of an upset. But Foden's second in the 91st minute eased the home team's nerves as they went second in the Premier League. 

After the match, City boss Pep Guardiola told BBC Sport: "After Daniel [Farke] changed shape, long balls to Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha running behind, it was always a struggle. That emotion is part of the football. We had the chances and at the end finally we found our goal."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportLeeds boss wants rule change

While Farke was deflated after the loss, one moment from the game stuck in his craw. Just before the hour mark, City goalkeeper Donnarumma motioned to the medical staff to tend to him. During this break in play, Guardiola called the other 10 City players to him to deliver new instructions after Leeds changed their shape. While the Whites went on to equalise, City secured the win, but Farke was not happy with the Italian stopper's actions. The German, who stopped short of criticising Guardiola, said a rule change needs to be sworn in to stop things like this happening.

"Everyone knows why he went down, right? It’s not like the elephant in the room. You can ask me what I think about it, why he went down, I think it was obvious," he said. "It’s within the rules. It’s smart. If I like it, if it’s in the sense of fair play, if it should be like this, I keep it to myself and leave it to the authorities to find solutions to it. It’s within the rules. I asked the fourth official if he wanted to do something, he said, 'No, our hands are tied, we can’t do anything'. If we don’t educate our players in football what to do in terms of fair play, sportsmanship, if you try to bend the rules to your advantage, and you can fake an injury in order to do an additional team talk, I think it’s not something I personally like, but if it’s within the rules I can’t complain about it. 

"My recommendation is if this happens, then every 50-50 to the away team rather than the home team. After 90 minutes at 2-2, I would have blown the whistle rather than all the time added on. There are tools you can use to make sure this doesn’t happen. There’s a reason why the goalkeeper goes down and not an outfield player; an outfield player would have to go off. I think for the authorities to find a solution, in the sense of fair play, I have my doubts. I don’t criticise my colleague. It’s not that he (Guardiola) went down. If he has time to do that and if there’s an injury, I would do it. We have such a great relationship, and Pep is by far the best manager in the world. To tweak something in a game, there is nobody better. There’s not one per cent criticism of Pep. The fact that this happens, everyone knows it."

Leeds show much-needed fight

While this was Leeds' fourth defeat in a row, heaping more pressure on manager Farke, the way the Yorkshire side came back into the game will encourage many connected to the club. But, ultimately, they came away pointless from Manchester.

He told BBC Sport: "We came here not for compliments or warm words, we came here for points. We had the worst possible start to this game. Normally, if you want points here, you have to win the set-pieces. I have to give many compliments to my lads. We deserved to equalise. Both teams could have won it. Heartbreaking for my lads. We’re disappointed because we deserved something but my boys should be proud of how they reacted to the worst possible start. They should take lots of confidence out of this."

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Getty Images SportCrunch games for Leeds

Leeds, who remain 18th in the Premier League, have just begun a particularly tough run of games in the English top-flight. After the City match, they host third-placed Chelsea on Wednesday, before entertaining out-of-form Liverpool next weekend. A trip to high-flying Brentford and then a home match against a confident Crystal Palace round off a difficult run of fixtures before Christmas.

His assault on a tricky pitch even wowed du Plessis who is often the one wowing others

Sidharth Monga24-Mar-2025

Ashutosh Sharma hit the winning six as DC won by one wicket•Associated Press

Faf du Plessis doesn’t feel awe easily. He has seen cricket all over the world, in all kinds of formats, for all kinds of teams. At 40, he is more used to leaving people in awe of his shredded body and ability to slug it out with the best of T20 players. But even his “old brain” was left in awe of Ashutosh Sharma’s hitting on a pitch that was not easy to bat on.Unprompted, du Plessis made it a point to mention during a sideline interview: “Just as an overseas player, one thing that’s remarkable for me to watch is the amount of Indian players that are so powerful and they’ve got the ability to just strike the ball so easy. You know, it wasn’t an easy pitch [to bat on]. There was a lot going on, but the two boys at the back end there, just the way they came in and just effortlessly hit boundaries. Unbelievable.”There will be another day for Vipraj Nigam, this night belonged to the “other boy”, Ashutosh. The Railways batter had a bittersweet season with Punjab Kings (PBKS) last year. He faced only 103 balls for 189 runs to regularly bring PBKS back from the brink, but kept either falling just short or not seeing the chase through himself.Related

• 'There was no sign of panic' – Ashutosh's composure under pressure stands out

• Ashutosh stuns LSG as DC complete one-wicket heist

• Du Plessis after DC's win: This is why Impact Player is there

• Pant after LSG's defeat: 'Think we had enough on the board'

As he got his new team, Delhi Capitals (DC), closer and closer against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Monday night, you wondered if those memories played on his mind. Of the time he took Kings from 150 for 6 to the threshold of the target of 200 set by Gujarat Titans, brought it down to the inexperienced Darshan Nalkande in the last over, but holed out to long-on and watched the victory from the dugout. Or the time his daring comeback ended two short of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s 182. Or, indeed, his 61 off 28 against Mumbai Indians from 77 for 6, when he fell in the 18th over and had to watch an agonising defeat.That last year might or might not have played in his head during this chase, but it did between the two seasons. “I learnt a lot from the last year,” Ashutosh said. “Last year I brought the team close in two-three matches but left the job unfinished in the end. The whole year I focused on that. I visualised how I am finishing matches. Even in domestic cricket, I focused on finishing games. That’s why I was able to finish on such a big stage.”I have a lot of belief in myself. That if I play till the last ball, anything can happen. Stay calm. Bring it down to a few balls. Stay clear with what shot you can play. Play only those shots you have practiced in the nets.”That belief was perhaps best apparent in the way he tried to steal a single when Kuldeep Yadav was on strike. There was this inherent belief that only he was the man to do it, and he charged his runs perfectly: not before the ball left the bowler’s hand, but he was halfway up the pitch by the time the ball reached Kuldeep. One such dash even cost them a wicket (of Kuldeep), but that didn’t faze Ashutosh. If the bowler was going to err, Ashutosh was going to send the ball out of the ground.1:07

What did Ashutosh Sharma do right?

The hitting was so clean he barely looked up, let alone run, just in case the ball doesn’t go past the boundary. As du Plessis said, this was not a flat deck by any means. Sample the ball that got Tristan Stubbs out, drifting into leg, turning to hit the pad and then the wicket. Or indeed the one in the last over that nearly spun past No. 11 Mohit Sharma and also dragged him out of his crease. A deflection off the pad saved him from getting stumped and gave Ashutosh another shot at a first successful heist in the IPL.During those two balls at the non-striker’s end, Ashutosh displayed the remarkable quality you need in cricket: care like hell but play like you couldn’t care less. “I was confident,” Ashutosh said of the time spent at the non-striker’s in the last over. “It is part of the game, but it was not part of my batting. I was very normal. ‘If he will take a single, I will hit a six’.”Hit a six he did. Sometimes you just need that bit of extra luck to push you over the line, but there is no substitute for bringing yourself into that situation again and again.